Organic food more widely known, eaten and available
The numbers of people farming and eating organic food is rising both in the United States and worldwide and it doesn’t seem like there will be a decline any time soon. According to the Organic Farming Research Foundation, in 1994, there were between 2,500 and 3,000 certified organic farms. Today, there are roughly 10,000.
Grown without the use of herbicides and pesticides, organic food is more natural for soil, animals and farmers. According to ota.com, in 1995 the National Organic Standards Board adopted the definition of organic food as agriculture grown with minimal use of off-farm inputs such as pesticides and fertilizers. The foods are also minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives or irradiation.
Charles Waugh, a professor in the English department, said he and his wife have chosen to eat organic food because it’s better for the environment, for people and they don’t want their son to be exposed to harmful chemicals.
“I feel like I’m doing everything I can to make sure he’s healthy,” Waugh said.
Although there isn’t enough evidence that chemicals used in corporate farms are harmful to humans, Waugh said he feels better about eating organic food because then he won’t need to worry about accidentally exposing his son to harmful elements in food.
Ota.com says for food to be considered “Certified Organic,” the field that it’s grown in must meet strict uniform standards unlike regular corporate farming. Soil and water are both periodically tested and detailed records must be kept.
For those who want to eat organic food, Waugh said it’s possible because of the variety of organic foods on the market.
“We make all sorts of regular stuff,” he said. “We make pizza and tonight I’m having red beans and rice.”
Diverse organic foods are becoming available, including pasta, prepared sauces, frozen juices, frozen meals, milk, ice cream, cereals, meat, poultry, breads, soups, chocolate, cookies and even beer, wine and vodka, according to ota.com.
Organic foods can be bought locally at the farmer’s market during the summer and at grocery stores in the valley. Waugh said Smith’s has a good variety of organic food and so does Sweet Peas Natural Market, located on Center Street.
Patrice Surly, the owner of Sweet Peas, said although not everything in her store is organic, the foods that aren’t “are still natural groceries,” meaning they contain small amounts of preservatives and additives.
“I try to make things available for people,” Surly said. “[Organic food] is new to a lot of people.”
She said organic food tastes better, adding that people often comment on how they love organic citrus fruits and the sweet carrots. Surly also said organic food is grown more responsibly and is better for everyone.
“Scientific evidence is going to force us to be more responsible,” She said. “Otherwise, we’ll be backing ourselves into a corner environmentally. People need to be socially responsible and have other motives than making money.”
Surly said people should be aware of what they are putting into their bodies.
“We are exposed to so many things on a daily basis and if you stop eating chemicals or putting chemicals on your skin, you’re going to be better off,” she said.
Surly suggests people learn what they can about organic food and that information is easily accessible online. Even as students, a difference can be made in their own lives and if they tried hard enough, Waugh said it may be possible to get organic food choices on campus. The first thing they could do is join together and ask USU Food Services to offer organic food, he said.
“Do what you can and then you’ll have a feeling of control over the situation,” he said. “Be interested, look around and be open. Read the newspaper and be aware. These issues are passed on to children, home by home, family by family. We can imagine a better way.”
According to the Organic Farming Research Foundation, not only do farms that grow organic food not use synthesized pesticides or fertilizers, but they also do not feed their animals antibiotics, hormones or medications unless the animals have an illness.
The way many non-organic farmers raise crops is by using chemicals like fungicides and insecticides, which make farming easier, faster and cheaper. However, this has its consequences including contaminated water, dietetics professor Tamera Vitale said.
People who eat non-organic foods also have much higher levels of pesticides in their blood, Vitale said. Research has shown that newborns whose mothers ate organic food also had lower levels of pesticides in their blood versus those who didn’t, she added.
There are a lot of good things about eating organic, however, there are a few misconceptions.
Some people think eating organic food is an all-or-nothing thing, but it doesn’t have to be, Vitale said. Because organic food is sometimes 50 percent more expensive than regular produce, eating everything organic could be really costly.
“You don’t have to eat everything organic to have a healthy diet,” she said. “And people who eat everything organic aren’t necessarily healthy.”
Ann Romero, a dietician at Logan Regional Hospital, said eating organic is more of a personal choice than it is a health choice.
“There isn’t a difference in nutritional quality,” she said. “[Organic food] is more pricey and not everyone can afford to pay more.”
Romero said the difference in eating organic food mainly has to do with the use of herbicides and pesticides in the farming of it. It’s good for the environment and people, but they don’t have to eat it. The United States has a good supply of food compared to some other countries, she added. People here can buy regular food inexpensively because of advances in farming technology.
Romero stressed eating healthy and keeping in track with the food guide pyramid, and if a person wants, they can eat organic foods as they do. She said taking care of the body is the main priority.
And if a person can’t afford to eat everything organic, Waugh said people can choose just one thing that is organic and eat that. Anything helps.
“If you had to make one choice, switch to organic dairy, milk and cheese,” Waugh said. “There is a huge undocumented problem of milk estrogen that we don’t yet understand.”
Waugh said cows on organic farms are not fed extra hormones, so people won’t need to be worried about getting too much in their bloodstream. He also said people can use other kinds of organic materials, and that food isn’t the only organic product.
“There’s things that people can do that are good for them,” Waugh said. “Be strategic about things. Do what you can. People could even use organic cleaning products such as laundry detergents, shampoo, conditioners or soap and that will help keep those chemicals out of the water.”
For more information on organic food go to ota.com, organic-center.org, ofrf.org or theorganicreport.org.
-mnewbold@cc.usu.edu